Homemade Strawberry Bread – Simple, Moist, and Delicious

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Homemade strawberry bread is a moist, tender quick bread filled with juicy berries in every slice. It’s an easy choice for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon snack, or dessert. Whether you’re baking with fresh strawberries or frozen berries from your freezer, this simple loaf is packed with sweet strawberry flavor.

This recipe comes from Eat & Explore North Carolina: Cookbook & Travel Guide by Christy Campbell, a collection of regional dishes that celebrate the flavors of the Carolinas. It’s a dependable recipe that has earned a permanent place in my kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Bread

• Versatile treat. Enjoy it as breakfast, snack, or dessert, with or without a pat of butter or cream cheese.
• Year-round appeal. Works with fresh or frozen strawberries, so you can bake it in summer or the middle of winter.
• Simple ingredients. Pantry staples come together in minutes—no mixer required.

Ingredients

For this sweet bread recipe, you need the following ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 2 ½ cups fresh strawberries
• cinnamon sugar for dusting on top

How To Make Strawberry Bread

1. Before you get started, chop fresh, juicy strawberries very finely. If you don’t have fresh strawberries, you can use frozen strawberries that have been thawed.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch loaf pans. (I like to spray non-stick cooking spray on the sides and bottom of the pans.)
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, vegetable oil, and strawberries.

1. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the strawberry mixture to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. Spoon into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

1. Once the bread is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Once that time is up, remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack.

1. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

Serving Suggestions

This strawberry bread is delicious served slightly warm with butter, cream cheese, or a drizzle of honey. It also pairs wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee or tea and makes a lovely addition to a weekend brunch alongside fresh fruit and yogurt.

Strawberry Bread Variations

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, it’s easy to customize.

• Cream Cheese Strawberry Bread: Spoon half of the batter into the loaf pan, add dollops of sweetened cream cheese, then top with the remaining batter and gently swirl with a knife.
• Strawberry Lemon Bread: Stir a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest into the batter and drizzle the cooled loaf with a simple lemon glaze.
• Strawberry Nut Bread: Fold in ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for added crunch.
• Strawberry White Chocolate Bread: Add ½ cup white chocolate chips for an extra-special treat.

Got strawberries? We’ve got plenty of ways to put them to delicious use. Treat yourself to a creamy Strawberry Cream Cheese Pudding Pie that’s as easy as it is elegant or Fresh Strawberry Pie that will remind you of Shoney’s famous strawberry pie, bake a batch of Homemade Strawberry Muffins for breakfast on the go, or celebrate with a Strawberry Cake that’s beautifully dense yet melt-in-your-mouth moist, delivering full strawberry flavor in every bite.

Lynda – Southern Kissed

Strawberry Bread

5 from 2 votes

This old-fashioned strawberry bread is moist, tender, and packed with sweet berries in every slice. Make it with fresh or frozen strawberries, and top it with cinnamon sugar for the perfect finishing touch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 16

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Calories: 385

Ingredients Method Nutrition Video Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 2 ½ cups fresh strawberries chopped very fine (or use frozen, sliced strawberries)
• cinnamon sugar optional

Method

 

1. Combine flour, sugar, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together remaining ingredients.
3. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Spoon into 2 greased and floured 9-inch loaf pans.
4. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 4gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 12gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 230mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 62IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

Video

Notes

Using frozen strawberries? Thaw them, drain off the excess liquid, and pat them dry with paper towels before chopping. Extra moisture can make the bread soggy or cause it to sink in the middle.

For a sweet finishing touch, sprinkle the greased pans and the tops of the loaves with cinnamon sugar before baking.

Recipe from Eat & Explore North Carolina: Cookbook & Travel Guide by Christy Campbell (Great American Publishers, 2016). Reprinted with permission.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Tips for Baking the Best Strawberry Bread

• Fresh Strawberries: Choose ripe, bright red strawberries that are firm and fragrant (smells sweet). Wash and dry the berries well before dicing them. Extra moisture can affect the texture of the bread.
• Frozen strawberries: Thaw and drain well, then chop finely.
• Sweetness: For a lighter loaf, reduce sugar slightly or use a mix of white and brown sugar.
• Add-ins: Fold in a handful of chopped nuts or white chocolate chips for extra texture.
• Storage: Wrap cooled loaves in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for 3–4 days at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze slices in freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Fresh vs. Frozen Strawberries

Fresh strawberries are my first choice because they provide the best texture and flavor. However, frozen strawberries can also be used when fresh berries aren’t in season.

If you’re using frozen strawberries, thaw them first, drain away any excess liquid, and gently pat them dry with paper towels. This helps prevent the batter from becoming too wet.

FAQs

About Eat & Explore North Carolina

Eat & Explore North Carolina (Great American Publishers, 2016) combines beloved Southern recipes with fun, bite-size travel facts from across the Tar Heel State. As you flip through its pages, you’ll learn gems like where Mt. Olive Pickles are made while gathering fresh kitchen inspiration.

The cookbook is organized into easy-to-browse chapters – Beverages & Appetizers, Bread & Breakfast, Soups & Salads, Vegetables & Sides, Meat & Seafood, Desserts & Sweets, plus handy indexes of recipes and destinations. Tempting highlights include Southwest Banana Pepper Dip, Fried Green Olives, Chocolate Pecan Pie, Fresh Apple Cake, Hoisin-Glazed Short Ribs, and Sorghum-Glazed Carrots.

Along the way, you’ll also discover North Carolina festivals and events such as Tour De Food, the Poultry Jubilee, and the Cotton Festival.

Perfect for anyone who loves classic Southern cooking, cheers for the Tar Heels, or plans to visit North Carolina, this book makes a thoughtful gift. Find it at local bookstores, Great American Publishers, and at my Amazon.com storefront.

Last Bite

One reader and her mom picked fresh strawberries, baked this bread, and ate an entire loaf the minute it came out of the oven, which might be the best review a recipe can get! If you make it, leave a star rating (it helps other bakers find the recipe) and tell me in the comments: did you use fresh or frozen strawberries? For more berry goodness, try my Homemade Strawberry Muffins or Strawberry Cake.